Asio flammeus (Short-eared Owl)

The Short-eared Owl is a circumpolar species found across open grasslands, marshes, and tundra habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere and South America. Unlike most owls, it is highly diurnal and crepuscular, hunting actively during daylight hours by quartering low over open ground in search of small rodents, voles, and mice. In winter, Short-eared Owls migrate southward from northern breeding grounds, making coastal grasslands and agricultural areas critical stopover and wintering habitat. The Skagit Wildlife Area and surrounding Puget lowland forests provide essential winter refuge for these raptors, which are listed as Near Threatened due to habitat loss and conversion of grasslands to development.